Gastroschisis Research Paper

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Gastroschisis is a defect in the fetal abdominal wall in which the bowel protrudes through an opening and floats freely in the amniotic fluid. The defect is small (2-4 cm) and it is usually on the right side. It is unrelated to the umbilical cord, located at junction of the umbilicus and the skin. Bowel herniates through the defect with no overlying membrane. The majority of fetuses with this problem are born to younger mothers. Gastroschisis is thought to be caused by a vascular incident occurring to either the right umbilical vein or omphalomesenteric artery. Unlike omphalocele, gastroschisis does not have a strong association with chromosomal abnormalities. Most often, there is herniation of the small intestine, but with larger defects the

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